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Back to Table of Contents for On Course Across the Curriculum 1.
Strategy: Class Contract & 32-Day Commitment Educator:
Diana Willeman, Faculty, Biology, Jefferson College of Health Science, VA Implementation: I had my BIO 102 course (5 week course that meets M-F) do both a class contract and also a 32-Day Commitment to study biology every day (each students chose anywhere between 5-30 minutes). On my 1st exam, no one scored less than a "B" and the class average was 98...WOW!!! This has never happened in the 12+ years that I have taught this course and I do NOT give easy exams. When I commented on the exceptional grades for this exam, I asked the students what their "secret of success" was. They responded by saying that they felt committed to study biology every day. I was a believer before, but now I REALLY believe in the power of using On Course concepts in the classroom. (You know scientists...we have to see the facts to back up things.) 2.
Strategy: The Jigsaw Educator: Marc Morancy, Faculty, Biology, Bay College, MI Implementation: During lab time, have students form groups of four. These groups work together in lab and also become home groups for lecture material. Each week, assign four sub-topics from the current lecture topic. For homework, assign students to make a simple outline for the chosen sub-topic. The following week in lab, the individuals with the same sub-topic meet for 10 minutes to exchange ideas/thoughts within expert groups. Then the home groups come together, and each individual has five minutes to discuss/teach the most important concepts within the sub-topic.
3.
Strategy: The Jigsaw
4.
Strategy: Silent Socratic Dialogue Educator: Wendy Brown, Faculty, Biology, Danville Area Community College, IL Implementation: The goal here is for students to get a better understanding of both sides of a controversial biological issue (e.g., human cloning, embryonic stem cell research, human impact on global climate change, use of genetic profiling). Many people either don't know the viewpoints of both sides or if they do, don't take the initiative to question their own beliefs. For this activity, students will choose an issue and side from a list of topics. Students will then read an article supporting their viewpoint. Students on opposite sides of the viewpoint pair up and summarize their viewpoint, exchange papers, and ask questions about their partner's viewpoint. This will repeat three times, questioning and responding to these questions.
5.
Strategy: The Jigsaw Educator: Janet Colvin, Faculty, Microbiology, Mayland Community College, NC Implementation: In Lab, create home groups of three and have students choose to become the group's expert in one of the three components of the first two lab exercises ("Use of the Microscope" and "Staining"): 1) Using the microscope, 2) the gram stain procedure, 3) interpreting the gram stain procedure results. To complete Step A, tell the students about their resources (the textbook and lab manual) and time available to become their group's expert (until next lab meeting). In Step B, have the expert groups meet to plan how to teach their information to their home group members. Also, have each expert group create a practice test to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching. Preview these tests, revising where necessary. In Step C, the experts return to their home groups, teach their home groups their information, then administer and review the practice tests. The instructor answers questions about the practice tests and later gives an instructor-created test that counts toward the students' grades. The students then complete the laboratory exercises: "Use of the Microscope" and "Staining."
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